Puerto Rican chicken and rice, or arroz con pollo, is the ultimate one-pot dish. Chicken and rice simmer together with sofrito and traditional Puerto Rican seasonings, resulting in a tender and incredibly flavorful dish.
I have a soft spot for any dish, including chicken and rice, and this fantastic Puerto Rican chicken and rice recipe is no exception. I’ve cooked these two ingredients dozens and dozens of times over the years and tried many different recipes from all over the world. Chicken and rice are a staple in many Latin American countries and everywhere in the world, it seems…
Check out Romanian Chicken Pilaf, Boiled Chicken and Rice, Chicken and Rice in White Sauce, and Spanish Chicken Chorizo Paella.
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What sets Puerto Rican chicken and rice apart?
The Puerto Rican arroz con pollo recipe is unique because of its flavorful sofrito - a mixture of aromatic ingredients like green bell peppers, onions, garlic cloves, and cilantro. These ingredients give the dish a distinct taste different from similar recipes.
It also uses traditional spices like cumin and oregano, making it a delicious representation of Puerto Rican cuisine.
Sofrito originates in Spain and is used to flavor rice, beans, stews, and many other dishes. The fresh ingredients are finely chopped in a food processor and used to cook this dish or impart flavor to many other Puerto Rican dishes.
Recipe ingredients
Chicken thighs and legs. You can use chicken thighs, chicken thighs, or a mixture of the two.
Medium-grain rice, like the one used in Puerto Rico, would be ideal. However, as that is hard to find, you can use long-grain white rice.
Homemade sofrito with green bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro (or culantro, if available). If you don’t want to make sofrito, use some from a jar, about 3.5 oz/ 100 g.
Adobo seasoning for the chicken consists of garlic powder, turmeric, oregano, cumin, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. This seasoning is also great for other dishes; use it to season Thin Sliced Chicken Breast or Casti-Iron Chicken Drumsticks.
Sazon seasoning for the rice consists of coriander, cumin, oregano, turmeric, sweet paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. You can buy both Sazon and Adobo seasonings or use my mixtures.
Chicken broth or stock: Make sure your chicken stock is low-sodium; otherwise, the food will be too salty. If you don’t have low-sodium, thin it 1:1 with water or use only water.
Other ingredients: Vegetable oil, green olives, capers, peas, and tomato sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Puerto Rican chicken and rice?
Preparations: Mix both kinds of seasoning in small bowls. Finely chop all the sofrito ingredients.
Step #1: Sear the chicken parts on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pot.
Step #2: Add sofrito to the pan and stir it for 2-3 minutes.
Step #3: Add the sliced olives, capers, and tomato sauce and cook gently on low heat for about 3 minutes.
Step #4: Add rice, sazon seasoning, additional salt, and pepper, and stir well. Add the stock, too.
Step #5: Bring to a boil and cook on medium heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until some of the liquid cooks off.
Step #6: Turn the heat down, cover the pot, and simmer chicken and rice for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Check!
Next, make Spanish Rice and Beans, Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice (gallo pinto), or Peruvian Aji de gallina!
Good to know!
Please check that the chicken is cooked through; the internal temperature should be 165°F/ 74°C. You can also cut a thigh near the bone; the flesh should be white with no traces of red or pink.
What is pegao?
If the pot is the right kind (a heavy Dutch oven, caldero, or another heavy-bottomed pot), you might even get a “pegao” at the bottom, which is a crispy rice layer at the bottom of the pot.
It’s okay if you don’t have it (it depends on the pot), but it is delicious if you do. It works great in my Dutch oven, but the bottom might burn if the pot is not right. The crispy layer should be dark and crispy but not burnt yet.
Usually, to get a pegao, you should toast the rice in extra oil at the beginning of the cooking process and then cook the rice for about 5 minutes longer to allow it to form the crust. However, I get that delicious crust without even trying; I don’t toast the rice or cook it longer. I suppose it must be the pot.
How to store and reheat arroz con pollo?
This recipe is excellent for meal prep, too.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
What to serve with it?
Puerto Rican chicken and rice is a dish that stands on its own; you don't necessarily need any sides. However, you can consider some of the following:
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Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
Adobo seasoning for the chicken:
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sazon seasoning for the rice:
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
Sofrito ingredients:
- ¼ cup green bell pepper finely diced about ½ a small pepper
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped about ½ a small onion
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- ¼ cup cilantro or culantro finely chopped
- 1 small jalapeno finely chopped
Chicken and rice:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 chicken thighs Note 1
- 4 chicken legs
- ¼ cup green olives sliced 50 g
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce 350 g
- 1½ cups long grain white rice 350 g, Note 2
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock 950 ml Note 3
- ½ cup frozen peas 75 g
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- cilantro to serve, optional
Instructions
- Adobo seasoning: Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.1 teaspoon fine sea salt + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon oregano + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ¼ teaspoon turmeric + ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Sazon seasoning: Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon onion powder + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon oregano + ¼ teaspoon coriander + ¼ teaspoon cumin + ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- Sofrito: Finely chop all the ingredients. Set aside.¼ cup green bell pepper + ¼ cup onion + 2 garlic cloves + ¼ cup cilantro + 1 small jalapeno
- Season chicken: Dry the chicken with paper towels. Rub it well with the adobo seasoning.4 chicken thighs + 4 chicken legs
- Sear chicken in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove it from the pot. Pour most of the rendered fat away, leaving only about 2 tablespoons in the pot.2 tablespoons canola oil
- Cook sofrito in the same pot for 3 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, capers, and sliced olives to the pot and cook gently for about 3 minutes.1 ½ cups tomato sauce / 350 g + 2 tablespoons capers + ¼ cup green olives / 50 g
- Add rice and sazon seasoning and stir well. Add chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and stir again.1½ cups long grain white rice / 350 g + 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock/ 950 ml + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Simmer: Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes until some of the liquid has cooked off. Add the peas, cover the pot, and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.½ cup frozen peas / 75 g
- Check: The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. You can also cut one thigh near the bone. The flesh should be white without red or pink traces.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top the chicken and rice with fresh cilantro if desired.cilantro
Notes
- Chicken: You can use only thighs if you like, but I can’t fit 8 thighs into my largest pot. It works with 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks.
- Medium-grain rice, like the one used in Puerto Rico, would be ideal. However, as that is hard to find, you can use long-grain white rice.
- Stock: Ensure the stock is low-sodium; otherwise, the dish will be too salty. If you don’t have low-sodium, thin it 1:1 with water or use only water.
Marvellina|What To Cook Today says
Arroz Con Pollo is definitely our family's favorite. I used annatto seeds for the orange color. I love how your rice has that orange color too without having to use the seeds. Must be the tomatoes?
Chris Scheuer says
This sounds wonderful - I bet the chicken is so tender.
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
This rice and chicken looks so delish and comfy. This would make a great weeknight meal.